J, the new addition to LDW

Let me start out by thanking Geoffrey for inviting me along for the ride. This ride started when he handed me the computer pictured to the left. At the time this was a laptop running linux. Two years later it has become a desktop running linux. Made from that laptop and a monitor I dumpster dove. I was giddy all day while I got this thing up and running.

Two months ago I became a web designer after Geoffrey suggested I join him. The idea had been mentioned before but this time it stuck. It seemed like something I would enjoy. That and being “let go” from my previous job made this seem like a worthwhile adventure. So far so good.

I come into this as a carpenter by trade. I am still building away but now electronically. I am able to find that same satisfaction working here with Geoffrey as I find remodeling a home. In fact Geoffrey and I use to remodel homes together years ago. He was a web designer then too. At that time I never dreamed I would do such a thing as “computer work”. Life goes on and I owe this guy a lot.

Go team!

Cafe Campesino

Finally got to start reworking the Cafe Campesino website. Reworked the header, some of the layout and upgraded the facebook/twitter icons. We hope to gradually rework the site this week.

The site runs in Volusion, which is not an easy CMS to work with. It is difficult to find the template files through ftp, so it is easier to work on through the web-based editor. At least their online editor does have line numbers so they can be matched up with Firebug.

The fastest we've ever put up a Joomla site.

Today we set up javaflorida.com in one day. The client set up the content, menus etc and I did design. Using Rhuk Milkeyway (the default joomla template) I did some quick customization mostly on their banner, but also on borders and css. In about 5 hours we had the site basically at a presentable place. We still have fine tuning like adding forms and contacts, but the site is already about done.

The site is using e-beans commerce.

We are happy to announce the new website for Contemplatives in Action at www.contemplativesinaction.org.

We took their existing site, Joomla 1.0 which has always been a bit challenging as it was set up by several different people with different methods of delivery. We installed Joomla 1.5, came up with a new look in some great colors. Using a template from Siteground (J-15-67), we added our own color scheme and graphics.

Most noticable is the "Simple Image Rotator" Module a Joomla! CMS extension developed by JoomlaWorks (www.joomlaworks.gr) and released under the GNU General Public License.

Next we created custom modules to replace the Joomla newsfeed module so that each section of the site could have it's own feed. Some were created as RSS from other parts of the site and others are static. There is one that pulls upcoming events from multiple Google calendars.

We installed ArtForms to handle multiple applications throughout the site. ArtForms is very easy to use, and will be easy for them to update and add forms.

We installed AcaJoom to store email addresses and send out html email from within the site. We downloaded their list from the email program in the old site and uploaded it to the new site.

Standard we installed Linkr to make it easier for the end users to add links in articles.

We tried multiple RSS feed modules, finding that they all seemed to split up tags breaking the xhtml validation, so settled on using the standard joomla rss feed module and then making some customizations to the module for better layout. This is what provides the dynamically updating "Pray With Us" module.

After much customization of the CSS and several modules and components we are happy to see all the pages validating except for the Acajoom form, so further customization will be needed there.

Thanks go out to the great Joomla community for their excellent development work and support without which this site would not be possible, and big thanks go out to Jocelyn and Contemplatives in Action for working diligently and patiently on adding the content and giving excellent direction in design and implementation.

Internet Security

I felt like writing something today after listening to a program about online security (specifically about companies that crack email passwords for a fee). These are things I have told people in pieces, but I thought I would try and put them together in one understandable post.

I encourage people to not be so naive about a system that they don't completely understand! I too have fallen into some traps, but I watch others around me sticking their necks way out there when it comes to online habits.

Try not to sign up for every offer online that comes across your computer. This includes things sent from well meaning friends via email. If a website is asking for personal information, even email and passwords, you need to ask yourself how this information could be used against you. If you cannot say for certain that this organization will not be using your address for sending out tons of offers (spam) or worse selling your email address to companies that then resell them to less than creditable organizations, then don't give them your email address or other personal information.

If you do sign up, as difficult as it may become, you really MUST use different passwords. It is very easy for site administrators to look and see what your passwords are. This means anyone, even a temp working for one of these companies could access this data. Do you really want someone to know not only your email address, but your "default" password? And worse is if they have your credit card info, home address etc.

Do not follow links such as "[insert friend here] has sent you a greeting card." Most of these sites are systems to install malware on your computer that can be as subtle as a tracking cookie, or worse case even keystroke recorders that can send a text file with everything you've typed on your computer including your login and passwords to any website, even banking, paypal etc.

Also a word about Facebook. I have admitted that I was wrong, and Facebook can be a good way of staying in touch with people and is not inherently evil (though my final decision is still out on that). I do however ask that you think carefully about adding all these "fun" little applications. It might be interesting to find out what type of cheese you are most like (if you're into that sort of thing), or to play Mafia Wars or Zombie or one of the other ways that my friends are always asking if they can use to kill me, hmm... Remember that there is a little statement that says "Allowing [insert app here] access will let it pull your profile information, photos, your friends' info, and other content that it requires to work."

This means that whoever created this app (and these are not people working for Facebook) is asking for a look at everything on your profile. How well do you know this person?? Is this a person who you are willing to share EVERYTHING you have on Facebook with? Are you sure that this person has no ulterior motives, now or ever? You are not only sharing all about yourself, but certain information about your friends.

Think of it this way, If a stranger called you on the phone, and started asking you all the questions that they could get from your Facebook profile, and about your friends (thereby assuming everyone of your facebook connections is a friend), would you not be at least a bit suspicious? Now ask yourself why you freely would give this information up to a complete stranger when you can't even hear their voice?!

I don't mean for you to get paranoid about the internet, Facebook, or many great sites out there. The internet it is a great tool, and I have completely embraced it in my life. However I have some knowledge about how it works on the back end, and just like I would not recommend driving your car through a lake because I know how a car works, I would likewise encourage you not to give up so much of your personal information to websites unless you are certain they have your best interests in mind.

There is a whole other aspect of information collection. Last week we saw what happened to Van Jones, I don't doubt that one day something I have posted to the internet will come back to bite me, but I at least take some time to think before I press "submit"

Cannot print, print spooler not running

When I have run in to this is most often after having uninstalled a Lexmark printer. They have a service that attaches itself to the print spooler service through a dependency and so when it is uninstalled it stops the print spooler from running. If this is the case, here is a fix:

Go to Start, Run and type or past "Services.msc" (without quotes). Scroll down and right click on 'lexbce server' go to properties and stop it and then disable it. Do the same to 'print spooler.' Once your done click ok to exit all windows.

Click on the start button and on run again. Type or paste the following (without quotes): "sc config spooler depend= RPCSS" and click run.

Restart your computer and try to install a printer (or use existing one).

If your print spooler is not running after this, or if you did not have a Lexmark printer,:

Go to Start, Run and type or past "Services.msc" (without quotes). Scroll down and right click on 'Print Spooler' go to properties and start it and select automatic for startup type.

Let me know if this works, or if you still have troubles.

Work has begun on a new Joomla site for ArtEgg.com

Any suggestions, as always, are appreciated. You can visit the site here.

Restarting Explorer

If your computer starts acting strange, one thing that is worth trying is to restart explorer. This can be done through the task manager (Ctr-alt-del) by ending the explorer process. When you do this you will see that your desktop icons and your taskbar will disappear, along with any open explorer windows (not to be confused with Internet Explorer, or your web browser which will remain unnafected). Then you will need to go to 'File-New Task' and enter 'explorer' to start it again.

Another easier way to accomplish this is to creat a .bat file to restart explorer. Open Notepad and past the following into it:

@echo off
taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe
start explorer.exe
exit

Now save this file as something you will remember with a '.bat' extension, I called mine restart-ie.bat.

You can now save this file, or a shortcut to it several places like on your desktop, in your start menu, you can also put one in your C:\Windows\System32 folder making it possible to start it with a run command (go to start-run and type in the filename without the .bat)

Note: This works in XP-Pro, and XP-home. I haven't tried it in Vista. If you are using XP-Home, you will need the taskkill.exe file, which you can find here. You will need to unzip this file and save it to your C:\Windows\System32 folder.